Ratings and viewership jumped by double-digits for the second race of NASCAR’s Chase For the Cup, but the numbers were still below par.
Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Sylvania 300 from New Hampshire earned a 2.7 U.S. rating and 4.235 million viewers on ESPN, up 17% in ratings and 15% in viewership from last year (2.3, 3.677M), but down 16% in both measures compared to 2009 (3.2, 5.044M, ABC).
Despite the increase, this marks the second-lowest rated, second-least viewed edition of the race over the past ten seasons.
As recently as 2008, the race drew a comparably hefty 3.8 rating and 6.098 million viewers on ABC.
Though low historically, Sunday’s race continued the general trend of increased ratings for NASCAR. Of the 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup races that can be compared to last year, eleven have had increases in ratings and thirteen have had increases in viewership.
Ratings/Viewership For Sylvania 300 Dating Back to 2001
* 2001 race postponed to November due to September 11 attacks
|
Year
|
Date
|
Winner
|
Net
|
Rating
|
Viewers
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2011
|
Sun., 9/25/11 | Stewart | ESPN |
2.7
|
4,235
|
|
2010
|
Sun., 9/19/10 | Bowyer | ESPN |
2.3
|
3,677
|
|
2009
|
Sun., 9/20/09 | Martin | ABC |
3.2
|
5,044
|
|
2008
|
Sun., 9/14/08 | Biffle | ABC |
3.8
|
6,098
|
|
2007
|
Sun., 9/16/07 | Bowyer | ABC |
3.3
|
5,185
|
|
2006
|
Sun., 9/17/06 | Harvick | TNT |
3.1
|
4,792
|
|
2005
|
Sun., 9/18/05 | Newman | TNT |
3.4
|
5,505
|
|
2004
|
Sun., 9/19/04 | Busch | TNT |
2.8
|
4,250
|
|
2003
|
Sun., 9/14/03 | Johnson | TNT |
3.0
|
4,705
|
|
2002
|
Sun., 9/15/02 | Newman | NBC |
3.7
|
5,762
|
|
2001*
|
Fri., 11/23/01 | R. Gordon | NBC |
3.2
|
—
|
(This year’s numbers from TV By the Numbers)
